Goleopterologicat Notices^ VI I. 4T1 



base and sinuate at the sides behind the middle, but the nature of 

 the sculpture near the basal margin differs very much in the 

 several subgenera. The scutellum is always distinct, except in 

 Parascydmus, where it becomes minute. The elytra are oval or 

 elliptical, generally very convex and frequently punctured in a 

 conspicuous manner, the basal impressions exceedingly small and 

 feeble in Scydmsenus proper, but well developed in Brachycepsis 

 and Taphroscydmus ; they narrowly overlap along the suture 

 posteriorly, the apex generally subtruncate with nearly right 

 sutural angles, but becoming broadly rounded with a feeble enter- 

 ing angle in some species of Brachycepsis, the dorsal pygidium 

 in these cases being usually visible but always nearly horizontal ; 

 humeri more or less visible in all except three of the species of 

 Parascydmus, where they are wholly obliterated, but almost ob- 

 solete also in Scydmaenus perforatus and Taphroscydmus cali- 

 fornicus. 



The mesosternum is more or less carinate, with the episternum 

 tumid and setose ; met-episterna entirely covered by the elytra. 

 Abdomen normal, with the first four segments short, the last two 

 much developed in some forms of Brachycepsis. The hind coxse 

 are very narrowly separated, with the small prolongation of the 

 metasternum between them deeply and narrowly cleft. The legs 

 ■are generally long and well developed, with the femora moderately 

 or feebly clavate, the anterior very strongly so in the subgenus 

 Scydmaenus. Tarsi var^'ing in structure in the several subgenera. 



The secondary sexual characters generally affect the anterior 

 femora in the subgenus Scydmaenus, but in turhatus the hind 

 trochanters are alone modified. In Brachycepsis they affect the 

 tibiae, hind trochanters and abdominal apex in various ways, ac- 

 cording to the species, while in Parascydmus they appear to be 

 altogether wanting. 



The species are somewhat numerous and may be assigned to 

 four strongly differentiated subgenera as follows : — 



Head not impressed ; prouotum with four subbasal fovese but frequently with 

 confused sculpture near the base, the prothorax dilated anteriorly, narrowed 

 and more or less feebly sinuate at the sides to the base ; hind tarsi elongate, 



with the four basal joints decreasing in length ; scutellum distinct I- 



Head impressed or biimpressed at the middle of the vertex. 



Scutellum distinct ; prothorax constricted near basal third, with a short 

 and feeble transverse impression in the middle near the base and two large 

 fovese at each side within the constriction ; hind tarsi long and very slen- 



